Device for removing bottle-stoppers.



No. 766,612. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. P. M. GLAESSEL.

DEVICE FOR. REMOVING BOTTLE STOPPERS.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 24,-1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. GLAESSEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,612, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed November 24., 1903. Serial No. 182,563. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. GLAEs- SEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Removing Bottle-Stoppers. of which the following-is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention is a new and improved device for removing stoppers from bottles, and particularly that class of stoppers which are well known underthe name of aluminium stoppers and which are used for closing bottles, particularly bottles for beer and other malt beverages. This well-known aluminium stopper consists of acup-like device circular in form and adapted to fit within the neck of the bottle. The side of the cup-like stopper is provided with a circumferential groove or indentation between the top edge and the bottom of the stopper, which is adapted to hold and secure a rubber band. The neck of the bottle which the stopper is designed to close is provided just below its top with a circumferential groove, whereby when the cup-like stopper is forced into the bottle the rubber band is held between the groove in the bottle-neck and the groove in the stopper, the rubber being compressed so that the stopper is held very tightly in the bottle, so as to resist pressure from the gas in the contained liquid. As the stopper is constructed this formation of the circumferential groove on its exterior surface causes a corresponding circumferential ridge on the insides of the sides of the cup-shaped stopper.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device which maybe readily and surely operated to remove a stopper of this character from a bottle, together with the rubber ring which surrounds it, without injuring the stopper. I accomplish this object as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the drawings.

hat I regard as new is set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a view of my device inserted in the neck of a bottle and showing in dotted lines the position taken by the bottle in the act of removing the stopper. Fig. 2 is a side view of the preferred form of my device in position to remove the stopper with a portion of the bottle in section. Fig. 3 is the same view of the device, showing the stopper removed from the bottle. Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the preferred form of the device; and Fig. 5 is a modification, being a side elevation of a form of my device adapted to be held in the hand to remove the stopper.

Referring to the drawings, 6 indicates a base which is provided near each end with suitable openings, through which screws 7 may be inserted for the purpose of securing it to the edge of a counter or table 8 or similar suitable support.

9 indicates an arm, which is preferably formed integral with the base 6 and projects forward therefrom when the base is secured to the edge of the table 8. The upper surface of the arm 9 is formed upon a curve, and the forward end of the arm 9 is cut so as to form a beveled or angularly-disposed bearingsurface 10, thereby forming an engaging edge 11, which lies in front of said beveled bearingsurface. As shown, this. engaging edge 11 is rounded to form a blunt curved edge, preferably formed on the arc of a circle to correspond with the circular shape of the inside of the stopper, and thereby prevent perforation of the stopper when the device is used for removing such stopper. This is the preferable form of said edge; but instead of an edge which is strictly curved I may form the edge in any other approved way, so as to make the edge 11 non-perforating-that is to say, so that in the removing of the stopper it will not be perforated by the pressure of the edge 11.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, 12 indicates a stopper, and 13 the bottle having the circumferential groove 14: on the inside of the neck near the top. As shown in those figures, the stopper 12 is of the well-known form of the so-called aluminium stopper, which is formed, as was said above, with an external circumferential groove 15, which causes a corresponding internal ridge on the inside of the stopper and leaves at the base of the stopper on the inside a circumferential recess 16.

17 indicates the rubber ring above referred to. As is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the beveled surface 10 at the end of the arm-11 is of such length and of such slope that when the bottle is brought into position to have the stopper removed (in the position shown in Fig. 2) the beveled surface 10 will rest flatly and bear upon the upper surface of the stopper, the blunt edge 11 will enter the circumferential recess 16, and the under side of the arm 9 will rest loosely against the opposite upper edge of the stopper'12. The bearing of the device against the stopper is thus insured, and by the bearing of the beveled surface 10 upon the surface of the stopper the curved blunt edge 11 is pushed firmly into the internal circumferential recess of the stopper. The bottle is then pushed down by hand into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2, the under surface of the arm 9 engaging the edge of the stopper or the neck of the bottle opposite to the point of engagement of the blunt edge 11 with the stopper. As the bottle is pushed down the stopper remains engaged with the arm 9 and is removed from the bottle, as shown in Fig. 3.

By reason of the bearing of the beveled surface 10, as above described, the thrust of the engaging edge 11 of the arm 9 against the stopper is so strong and sure that the rubber band will be removed from the stopper, as is shown in Fig. 3.

The above description shows the preferred form of my device, as it is more convenient,

'ing downward of the bottle. ever, I have shown a modified form of my de- 7 and the device will work better if secured v firmly to a suitable support, and the removing of the stopper is brought about by the push- In Fig. 5, how

vice, in which 18 indicates the bearing-arm of the stopper having the engaging edge 19 and beveled surface 20, which are formed in precisely the same shape and manner as above described in describing the preferred form. Instead of being provided with a base'6, however, this form is provided with a handle 21, adapted to be held in the hand. In this case the bottle will be held firmly and the device inserted in the stopper so that the beveled edge 20 bears upon its upper surface, the edge 19 firmly engaging the internal circumferential groove of the stopper. The engagement will be the same as above described and the stopper removed by operating the device by the hand in which it is held.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device for removing internal bottle-caps, consisting of an arm adapted to bear on its under side on the top of the bottle-neck and having at its end an angularly-disposed or beveled bearing-surface, adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the cap, the upper front portion of said beveled surface merging into a rounded edge adapted to engage beneath the edge of the cap, substantially as described.

FREDERICK M. GLAESSEL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. PICKARD, MINNIE A. HUNTER. 

